Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-22
AlLEEN DELANY.

city OF Limerick, and in that neigiborhood |
remained for several months 1t was nv
btsiacSs to distribute to the best advantage
the relief sent by the generous people OF
America to the unfortunate Irish, and after
That duty was discharged | still fingered in
TIE vicinity, carrying on an active CORE
spondence with several relief committees, and
'loing all iii my power TO alleviate the misery
around me The distress was fearful all over
the island, but worst on the western coast
and, as might he expected where oppression,
starvation ami disease were rife. discomfort
and detection were not absent, and many
il"Icss and violent deeds added n horror Of
their own to the horrible suffering which
they could not cure and could only partially
avcnge.
viii not harrow up the feelings of my
readers by attempting to describe the scenes
through which daily passed | will narrate
only one episode which excited my keenest
interest at the time and has never faded from
my mind
In my travels through the country be
came acquainted with family belonging to
the better class of peasant proprietors, and
who had been comparative we'll of until the
total failure of Successive crops had reduced
them to the same abject poverty as their
neiGhbors There were an Older brother and
sister and several smaller children They
We're orphans, but Timothy Delauy had sup
pifed his fathers place as well as be could. and
bad kept the family together He was a
genial, open hearted fellow; fond of fun and
frolic like most Of his countrynen, and carry
inS their proverbIal honesty almost to all ex-
ces,s. Like the upright priest, "he would not
have told lie to gain heaven by it The
whole family indeed. were noted for strict
morality, AMI for that deep and fervent pietv
which distinguishe, the mass of the Irish
peasantry.
Aleen, or Ely Delaney was one of the most
beautiful girls | ever ieheld; and il was not
long before discovered that her beauty had
gained for her the best match in the parish
young farmer, well-to-do in the world and
a handsome fellow to boot Nevertheless,
her engagement did not meet the approval of
her brother, of which | was apprised one
evening when ! called at the cottage.
He's wake as runnm' wather," said Timo-
thy There's no sori o depiidence to be put
on the crathur, at all at all He's dhruv here
an he's dhruv there at livery mans pleasure,
an nIver knows if he's stan'in' on his right
fut or his lift, Sure its to shame all heart
break he'll bring We, Ely, yit"
Eily's beautiful dark blae eyes filled with
tears and her lips trembled.
"Oh, vo. vo, Tim ashore, it's the hard word
We put on the poor boy that's promised me,
an before bis honor, too An sure. it's for
nothin' at all at all but the bad name he's got
from the agint"
"The agint'S nothn' to do wild it, Eily.
Sure now, his honor's honor knows its not
the word Nv Sassenach land agint I'd be
afther takIn' agin my own sisther's husband
that's to be But We know yerself, Eily ma
chree, that's he's turned his back on the priest
an his duty, an he's got III wild thin that II
lade him to the ropes ind, an our honest
name that liiver had the laste taste o dirt
thrown on it ull be ihrassed through the
mud by him
That it'll niver, niver be! It's little We
know Michael O'Connor when ye spake that
word "
An how well do yez know him? Do yez
know where be was yestIeen1 Or where he'll
ne at Shrovetidef"
Eily was silent
I'LL II uleSih VIII it'tI NtL, Ely hlHDIld.
though it hurts me to the middle O nv heart
to give ye the hard word Stead O. bein' an
his knees forennst the priest like a good
Christian, its out "id the boys he'll be that
night, an inside the doors o. the county Jail
mayhap fore mornln'"
He will not, he will mott" cried the girl
passionately. Hes promised to meet ME at
the blackthorn tree nigh hand the chapel an
go wild me to confession an to the holy COM
mumon Ash Wednesday mornin', an sure it
isn't wld the black dhrop i'll his heart bed be
goin' to his duty"
"Thn hould him to that promise, Eily
ashore, and may be yez may save him yit;
but | tell We agin it's into bad hams he's got
an he's wake as wather"
The penitential season of Lent now ap
preached, and the parish priest took this oc,
c'ason to redouble his exhortations to his un
happy flock, adiuring them to bear their
heavy cross patiently, and striving by precept
and example to teach them resignation, and
preventing the violent deeds that instead of
ameliorating their wretched condition, added
the heavy punishment of the law to their
other sutferings With many his reinon-
strances were unavailing The people, driven
mad with misery, became utterly desperate
and reckless Of consequences: seeking only 10
wrcai, Some small measure of their own sui
f"rln-s pn their oppressors.
y Among the most dcteSted of these was tl.e
agent OF the largest landed estate in the
country, the property Of an absentee lord
who spent his life among the IuxurieS of q
foreign capital, leaving his 'midtlleman' 10
pack h. llaI
whri 0withal Of his pleasures. Many were
lhc families eEict d by this mans orders,
mauy the cot age, unroofed and their i'll
mates turned on the bleak hillside to perish
with coi,i and hunger. And many and feiu-
ful were the curses and VOWS of vengeance
hreathed against him. He carried his life III
lis hand daily, and he knew it.
From all these CONNEXIONS Timothy Delanv
held himsclf steadily a,uof 1T isn't that
don't fale for the cratiitirs, your bolior,' be
SAID to me. Sure its me own heart is achin'
fui thin this mliute, hut what good to XIII
the aslnts FAX, ali ii he was kilt lntireIy
the morrow morn, there's pliuty more like
him to take his place An if the hould ca
hoaife who smashed tbs, sInithereens the.
landlords nd have over IA new set DIRECTLY
an where's The good av us pokin' our ne,.ks
into the halter fur the likes o thimg Truth
an wish Mike O'Connor was NV my nliud
fur poor Eilys sake"
On the evening Of Sh,ove Tuesday, as
was riding along the road that led by the
little Catholic chapel. saw u lonely figure,
dressed in the short scarlet petticoat and
mantle commonly worn by the women of the
west coast, crouching under huge old blaca
thorn tree by the roadside. There is Ely
waiting for her lover" thought 81 hope
be will prove true to his tryst."
Next morning was reused by the gossoon
belonging to the inn entering my room and
telling me "there was one beyant waiteu' to
have spache wild me av i plased." Upon
going out | found Tim Delany, who told ME
the obnoxious agent had been murdered in
bis bed the night before; that several Of the
tboys" in the neighborhood had been
'reshted" on suspicion, and that Michael
O'Connor was among them.
Poor Ei,,vI how ,ioes sine bear itl" was my
drst question.